Aconcagua(Mountain)Quechua, Aymara Likely comes from the Quechua or Aymara indigenous languages of the Andes. Possible meanings include “Stone Sentinel”, “Sentinel of Stone”, or “White Sentinel”... [more]
Algoma(Region)Algonquin Region in Ontario, Canada. Created name by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. The 'al' is from "Algonquin", the the 'goma' is from the word 'gomee', meaning "water".
Allegheny(Body of Water)Lenape The name Allegheny may come from Lenape welhik hane or oolikhanna, which means 'best flowing river of the hills' or 'beautiful stream', and from a Lenape account of an ancient mythical tribe called "Allegewi", who lived along the river before being taken over by the Lenape.
Arapaho(Settlement)Sioux Arapaho is probably from Hidatsa arúpahu, or a cognate word in another Siouan language. Apparently borrowed from a widespread Siouan designation for one or more Arapaho bands, compare, in Siouan languages: Crow arappaho, Hidatsa arúpahu, Mandan "Arrapahó", Omaha-Ponca aðábahu, and Kansa aropwahì... [more]
Askibwaanikaa-ziibi(River)Ojibwe Two rivers in Minnesota. From Ojibwe askibwaanikaa-ziibi meaning "river full of Jerusalem artichokes".
Athabasca(Settlement, Other, Body of Water & Mountain)Cree (Anglicized) Name of numerous towns, lakes, rivers, a glacier, and a mountain, in Canada, primarily in the province of Alberta... [more]
Attawapiskat(River & Settlement)Cree River and town in Ontario, Canada. From the Attawapiskat people, meaning "people of the parting of the rocks", or Āhtawāpiskatowi ininiwak.
Ayuhwasi(Settlement)Cherokee Ayuhwasi, meaning "savanna" or "large meadow". The name has been applied to several entities past and present in the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee
Bella Coola(Region & Settlement)Salishan (Anglicized) Town and valley in British Columbia, Canada. From the Heiltsuk word bḷ́xʷlá, meaning "someone from Bella Coola", referring to the general ethnic group in the area
Cusco(Political Subdivision, Region & Settlement)Quechua
Cuzco(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Inca (Hispanicized), Quechua (Hispanicized), Spanish (Archaic) Traditional spelling of Cusco, a city in Peru which was the capital of the Inca Empire. Cusco is the Hispanicized form of Quechua Qusqu meaning "rock, boundary stone; heap of earth and stones; nucleus; navel; bed, dry bed of a lake".
Epáña(Country)Guarani Guarani form of Hispania (see Spain) via the Spanish form España.
Etobicoke(Settlement)Iroquois (Anglicized), Algonquin (Anglicized) From the Mississagua name for the area, wah-do-be-kang (wadoopikaang), and means "the place where alders grow". Anglicized by Augustus Jones as 'ato-be-coake', but adopted by John Graves Simcoe as 'Etobicoke' in 1795.
Fraser River(River)English, Indigenous American The Fraser River is named after Simon Fraser, a Scottish-Canadian explorer who navigated much of its length in 1808 while working for the North West Company. Indigenous names for the Fraser River include the Stó:lō name Sto:lo, meaning "river," and the Secwepemc name Teqtéqe... [more]
Gichi-biitoobiig(Region)Ojibwe A region in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gichi-biitoobiig meaning "great duplicate water, parallel body of water, double body of water".
Gichigami-ziibi(River)Ojibwe A river in Minnesota. From Ojibwe gichigami-ziibi meaning "great lake river".
Guantánamo(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Spanish, Taíno (Hispanicized) Borrowed from an uncertain Taino term meaning "land between rivers". This is the name of a city and province in Cuba.
Hapõ(Country)Guarani Guarani form of Japão (see Japan) via the Spanish form Japón.
Havasu(Settlement & Body of Water)English (American), Indigenous American Means “blue” in the Mojave language. In July 2024, a 4 month old baby died of heat exposure while her negligent parents partied on Lake Havasu (California-Arizona border).... [more]
Kalaallit Nunaat(Country)Greenlandic Means "land of the Kalaallit". This is the Greenlandic endonym for Greenland. Kalaallit is the name of the dominant ethnic group on the island.
Kalispell(Other)Salishan (Rare) The name Kalispell is a Salishan (Salish) word meaning "flat land above the lake". Kalispell is also the gateway to Glacier National Park.
Kankakee(Settlement)Indigenous American Kankakee is probably derived from the Miami-Illinois word teeyaahkiki, meaning: "open country/ exposed land/ land in open/ land exposed to view".
Kaposia(Settlement)Sioux A Dakota settlement in Minnesota. From Dakota kaposia meaning "light, light-footed".
Kazabazua(River & Settlement)Algonquin (Gallicized) River and town in Quebec. From 'kachibadjiwan', meaning "hidden current" in Algonquin, as the river is primarily underground.
Kejimkujik(Other & Body of Water)Mi'kmaq Lake and national park in Canada. From Mi'kmaq, meaning "attempting to escape", or "swollen waters", or "tired muscles".
Kelowna(Settlement)Salishan Name of a large town in British Columbia, from the Okanagan word kelowna, meaning "grizzly bear"
Kenai(Region, River & Settlement)Indigenous American, Dena'ina, Russian From a Dena'ina word meaning "flat, meadow, open area with few trees; base, low ridge." This is the name of a town, peninsula, borough and river in Alaska.
Klondike(Region)Indigenous American tributary of the Yukon River in northwestern Canada, from Kutchin (Athabaskan) throndiuk, said to mean "hammer-water" and to be a reference to the practice of driving stakes into the riverbed to support fish traps... [more]
Kluane(Other)Cree National park in Yukon, Canada. The name comes from the Southern Tutchone language.
Kodiak(Settlement)Indigenous American Kodiak is a settlement in Alaska USA , Located on Kodiak Island. Originally inhabited by native Americans and Russians.... [more]
Kootenay(Other)Salishan (Anglicized) National park in British Columbia, Canada. The name is derived from the Kutenai people of the area. Their name either means "to eat lean meat', or "to go out into the open".
Miramichi(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Mi'kmaq, French, English The name Miramichi is believed to have originated from the Mi'kmaq word Maissime'jg, meaning "he who gathers" or "place of gathering", referring to the area's historical importance for Indigenous peoples... [more]
Mississauga(Region)Ojibwe (Anglicized) From the Anishinaabe word misi-zaagiing, meaning "Those at the Great River Mouth". Name of the Mississauga tribe, and now a name of a Toronto suburb. Closely related to the Ojibwe word misswezahging, mean "river of many outlets".
Mobile(Settlement)Indigenous American Mobile is a settlement in Alabama USA. Found in Mobile County Alabama.... [more]
Moose Jaw(Settlement)English, Cree The origin of Moose Jaw's name is debated. One theory suggests it comes from the Cree word "Moosoochapiskanis", meaning "warm place by the river", referring to the area's natural water sources. Another explanation is that the river bends in the shape of a moose's jaw, which led to the name... [more]
Nahanni(River & Other)Chipewyan River and national park in Northwest Territories, Canada. From the Dene name for the area, 'Nahʔa Dehé', which means "river of the land of the Nahʔa people".
Nanortalik(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the place with polar bears" in Greenlandic, ultimately derived from nanoq "polar bear". Nanortalik is the southernmost town in Greenland.
Narsaq(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "field, plain" in Greenlandic. Narsaq is town in southern Greenland.
Nezhingwaakokaansing(Settlement)Ojibwe A settlement in Minnesota. From the Ojibwe word nezhingwaakokaansing meaning "little place of pines".
Niagara(Body of Water, Settlement & Region)Iroquois Name of a popular waterfall, a town, and region, in Canada. Derived from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra, meaning either "the strait", or "bisected bottom lands"
Ochillee(River)Indigenous American Ochillee is a subsidiary creek that flows northwest into the Upatoi creek, through Chattahoochee county, within the boundaries of the Fort Benning military reservation.
Oka(Settlement)Mohawk Unknown meaning. Name of town in Quebec
Okanagan(Region & Body of Water)Salishan Region and lake in Canada, named after the Okanagan people. Means "the people living where you can see the top", due to the many mountains in the area.
Okoboji(Body of Water)Sioux Legend tells the lake was named for Chief Okoboji; meaning either ‘place of rest’ or ‘reeds or rushes,’-preferred.... [more]
Ollantaytambo(Settlement)Aymara, Incan, Peruvian Originates from the Aymara term Ulla Tawi, meaning "high observation place." This is the name of an Incan terrace farm in Peru which is famously known for its Incan Stair Master.
Omaha(Settlement)Sioux Siouan people of northeastern Nebraska, 1804, Maha, perhaps from Omaha umaha, perhaps literally "upstream (people), against the flow." The Nebraska city was founded in 1854.
Ontario(Region)English, French (Quebec), Iroquois The name Ontario comes from the Iroquoian word ontarí:io, meaning "great lake" or "beautiful water." It originally referred to Lake Ontario, which is one of the five Great Lakes in North America... [more]
Owámniyomni(Other)Sioux A waterfall near Minneapolis, Minnesota, the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River before the construction of a series of locks. From Dakota owámniyomni, "whirlpool".
Paamiut(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the people who live at the mouth". Paamiut is town in Greenland, located at the mouth of the Kuannersooq Fjord.
Pindoráma(Country)Guarani From Tupi-Guarani pindó-rama meaning "land of palm trees", from pindo meaning "palm tree" and ráma meaning "land, section". This is the Guarani name of Brazil.
Pukaskwa(Other & River)Ojibwe National park and river in Ontario, Canada. May be from the Ojibwe word 'pukasu', meaning "to cook the marrow in the bones of animals", or "eaters of fish"... [more]
Punxsutawney(Settlement)Lenape the name (for the base-city of the Groundhog Day woodchuck Punxsutawney Phil) comes from the indigenous word for "Town of the Sandflies"
Qaqortoq(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "white" in Greenlandic. Qaqortoq is the 4th largest town in Greenland.
Qausuittuq(Other)Inuit National park in Nunavut, Canada. Meaning "the place where the sun does not rise] in Inuktitut.
Qeqertarsuatsiaat(Settlement)Greenlandic, Inuit Translates to "the rather large island," reflecting the island's size and the local Inuit perception.
Quttinirpaaq(Other)Inuit National park in Nunavut, Canada. Means "the top of the world" in Inuktitut, as it is the northernmost national park in Canada, and the second in the world.
Rankin Inlet(Settlement)Inuit First visited by Europeans in the early 1600's the Inlet was named for Lt. John Rankin of the British Royal Navy.... [more]
Roanoke(Settlement, Island & River)Algonquian The name Roanoke is said to have originated from rawrenock, an Algonquian word for "shell money".
Saugeen(River & Political Subdivision)Ojibwe (Anglicized) Town and river in Ontario, Canada. From the Ojibwe 'zaagiing', and means "at the river's outlet" or "at the mouth of the river".
Sauquoit(Settlement & Body of Water)English, Oneida From the Oneida word sa-da-quoit, meaning "smooth pebbles in a stream."
Sisimiut(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the residents at the foxholes" in Greenlandic. Sisimiut is the second largest town in Greenland.
Sitka(Settlement)Tlingit From the Tlingit name Shee Atʼiká, meaning "people on the outskirts of Baranof Island." This is the name of a city in Southeast Alaska. It is the largest US city by total area.
Tasiilaq(Settlement)Greenlandic Means "the place with a lake" in Greenlandic. Tasiilaq is a town on the east coast of Greenland.
Tawatinsuyu(Country)Quechua Quechua name for the Inca Empire. From tawatin suyu meaning "land of four parts".
Tecumseh(Settlement)Shawnee From the given name Tecumseh, for the Shawnee chief. Tecumseh is the name of several cities, towns, and other municipalities in the United States and Canada.
Toluca(Settlement)Paiute From a Paiute word meaning "fertile valley" or "beautiful valley". This is the name of a neighborhood and lake in Los Angeles, California, USA, i.e., Toluca Lake.
Topanga(Settlement)Indigenous American Topanga is a community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States located in the Santa Monica mountains. The name is given by the Native American indigenous Tongva tribe, and may mean "where the mountain meets the sea" or "a place above".
Torngat(Mountain & Other)Inuit (Anglicized) Mountain range and national park in Canada. Meaning "place of spirits" from the Inuit word 'tongait'.
Tsenacommacah(Region)Powhatan (Archaic) This is the name of the homeland of the Powhatan Confederacy in what is now the eastern part of the US state of Virginia.
Tyewhoppety(Other)Shawnee Tyewhoppety is an unincorporated community located in Todd County, Kentucky, United States. ... [more]
Uigvak(Settlement & Island)Inupiat Iñupiatun name of King Island.
Ukkusiksalik(Other)Inuit National park in Nunavut, Canada. From Inuktitut, meaning "where there is material for the stone pot", from the word 'ukkusik', meaning "pot" or "saucepan".
Unaka(Region & Mountain)Cherokee From the Cherokee unega meaning “white”, said to be in reference to the long white chestnut blossoms that bloomed in the mountains during spring. This is the name of a subrange of the Appalachian mountain range, on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Utqiagvik(Settlement)Iñupiaq, Indigenous American Means "place to gather roots" in Iñupiaq. This is the name of the northernmost town in the US, located in the state of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean coast... [more]
Uummannaq(Other)Greenlandic Means "heart-shaped" in Greenlandic, ultimately derived from uummat "heart". Uummannaq is the name of several places in Greenland, including a mountain, a town, an island, and a fjord.
Wausau(Region & Settlement)Indigenous American (Latinized, Rare) Term used in many Native American languages with varying similar meanings such as "to see from a distance" or "to hear from a distance." It was the Native American name for a valley in central Wisconsin that is still refered to as such by locals... [more]
Wauwautosa(Settlement)Algonquian Wauwautosa (an edge city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is named after the Potawatomi Chief Wauwataesie and the Potawatomi word for "firefly".
Wawa(Settlement & Body of Water)Ojibwe Name of a town and lake in Ontario, Canada. From the Ojibwe wording wewe, meaning "wild goose"
Wawanakwa(Settlement)Popular Culture, Algonquian (?) Might mean "feathers of wild geese, water-related wild goose" from Ojibwe wewe meaning "wild goose" (?) combined with nakwa meaning "feathers, water-related" (nakwamay resemble phonetic elements in Algonquian that mean “feathers” or “water-related” elements in other names) (?).
Wazi Oju(River)Sioux A river in Minnesota. From Dakota Wazi Oju meaning "place of pines".
Wenji-maajiijiwang(Body of Water)Ojibwe Ojibwe name for the headwaters of the Mississippi River. From the Ojibwe word wenji-maajiijiwang meaning "where the river begins".
Wetaskiwin(Settlement)English (Canadian), Cree A city in Alberta. From the Cree word wiitaskiiwin ispatinaw, meaning "the hills where peace was made".
Yosemite(Other)English (American), Indigenous American (Anglicized, Rare) A national park and a valley located in Mariposa County, California, the name is derived from the Southern Sierra Miwok joh-heˀ-HmetiH-, meaning "warriors, killers, those not afraid to die"... [more]
Yukon(Region)Indigenous American Territory in Canada. Split from the northwest territories in 1898. Capital is Whitehorse.... [more]